Laurent Blanc, Gennaro Gattuso, Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger, David Moyes, and Chris Hughton are all possible options to succeed Rafa Benitez at Newcastle United, according to the Chronicle.
The regional newspaper claim that a move for Mourinho remains unlikely, with the possibility of Hughton coming back to St James’ Park in doubt despite recently being made available; and any move for Moyes would be difficult due to his previous links at Sunderland.
The Chronicle reports that Newcastle have identified the type of profile they want in a manager should they have to replace Benitez at the end of June.
No talks have been held with any potential new managers, with the top priority remaining the future of Benitez.
It has been well documented that the Spaniard’s current deal at St James’ Park runs out at the end of the month, with Mike Ashley reportedly putting his final offer on the table as non-negotiable.
OPINION
The longer this story goes on, and the more that is revealed, the more it gets ridiculous for everyone involved at Newcastle. Coaches such as Laurent Blanc, Gennaro Gattuso, and David Moyes were mentioned in the report – all three being inferior to Benitez, who must be given what he deserves. Moves for Mourinho and Wenger should have always been taken with a pinch of salt, with those possibilities surely only available should the Bin Zayed Group confirm their reported takeover. It is remarkable how the Magpies have let this drag on for so long, Mike Ashley will have known his manager’s current deal was expiring and has had a full year to make a decision or better yet tie the former Liverpool boss down to extra years at St James’ Park. That still hasn’t been done, and with less than 10 days remaining to get a deal across the line, things suddenly are quickly going downhill. Realistically, Newcastle have one of the best managers in the world, who stuck by them in tough times, and now the time has come to repay him by backing him in the market to give him the opportunity to push on, Ashley has gone missing.
